The Brainy Business | Understanding the Psychology of Why People Buy | Behavioral Economics

Mindy Weinstein, CEO of Market MindShift, delves into the psychology of scarcity on consumer behavior, highlighting supply, demand, time, and limited edition scarcity. She emphasizes transparent marketing tactics and ethical considerations. The discussion explores leveraging scarcity to drive sales, create urgency, and build customer loyalty.

Behavioral scientist Patrick Fagan discusses the psychology of effective messaging in marketing, using behavioral science to influence consumer behavior. Topics include background noises on online shopping, impact of Facebook on self-esteem, segmentation for a supplements brand, habit formation, consumer preferences, and crafting compelling marketing campaigns.

Roger Hurni, behavior strategist, discusses the shift to emotional marketing, leveraging human motivations for effective strategies. Insights include sensory marketing, micro-moments in decision making, and applying BJ Fogg's Behavior Model in business.

Entrepreneurship and experience design expert Jennifer Clinehens discusses leveraging behavioral science to shape customer perceptions and the non-linear nature of customer journeys. Topics include choice hacking, understanding the true end of experiences, and enhancing brand interactions through behavioral science principles.

Neuroscientist and physicist Kelly Clancy explores the psychology of games, discussing their impact on behavior and decision-making. Topics include the significance of games in shaping behaviors, fostering empathy, and creating new systems. Kelly's expertise shines through as she highlights the profound effects of gaming on societal dynamics and decision-making processes.

In episode 402 of The Brainy Business podcast, Annie Duke, a former professional poker player and author of the book Quit, joins host Melina Palmer to discuss the psychology of quitting and decision-making under uncertainty. Annie's transition from an academic to a professional poker player and her subsequent work in decision science provide a unique and valuable perspective on the topic. Throughout the conversation, Annie challenges traditional perceptions of quitting and emphasizes its crucial role in winning and strategic decision-making.  She introduces concepts such as pre-mortems and the mental model of monkeys and pedestals, offering practical tools and frameworks for making better decisions. The episode provides valuable insights into reframing the mindset around quitting, the importance of understanding when to quit, and the potential impact of decision education in various domains. Annie Duke's diverse background and expertise in decision science make this episode a must-listen for entrepreneurs and business owners seeking to enhance their strategic decision-making skills and achieve increased business success. In this episode: Discover the strategic benefits of quitting in business to unlock new opportunities and growth potential. Implement behavioral economics in your business to enhance decision-making and drive better outcomes. Learn how to strategically identify when to quit for long-term business success and resilience. Explore the Monkeys and Pedestals decision-making model for insightful strategies to improve decision-making processes. Overcome analysis paralysis and make decisive, effective decisions to propel your business forward. Show Notes: 00:00:00 - Introduction The episode introduces Annie Duke and her book Quit about the psychology of quitting and decision-making. 00:01:15 - The Importance of Quitting Annie explains how winners often say no and quit things to succeed, emphasizing the need to know what to stick with, what to quit, and when. 00:04:47 - Annie's Background and Transition Annie shares her journey from academia to professional poker and behavioral psychology, highlighting how her poker career led her back to her cognitive science roots. 00:08:40 - The Power of Diverse Perspectives Annie discusses the value of diverse experiences in decision-making and problem-solving, emphasizing the importance of different frames of thinking to bring unique insights to the table. 00:12:05 - The Pre Mortem Skepticism Annie shares her research on pre-mortems, expressing skepticism about their effectiveness as standalone decision tools and the need to combine them with other strategies for improving decision quality. 00:14:18 - Normalize Dissent and Prospective Hindsight Daniel Kahneman's advice on normalizing dissent allows for consideration of both good and bad outcomes. Prospective hindsight can generate 30% more reasons for failure or success. 00:15:19 - Pre Parade and Pre Mortem Tools Pre-mortem exercises influence confidence and introduce self-serving bias. The pre parade increases overconfidence, while the pre-mortem leads to attributing bad outcomes to external factors. 00:18:43 - Challenges in Behavior Change Difficulty in getting people to change plans despite pre-mortem insights. Anecdotal observations and studies show resistance to plan modifications across various domains, raising questions about the effectiveness of the exercise. 00:19:55 - Group Dynamics and Real-world Impact Need for group testing of pre-mortems to understand the impact of group dynamics. Potential for behavior change in high-stakes environments like work projects. Studies underway to explore these aspects in real-world scenarios. 00:22:23 - Thinking in Bets and How to Decide Annie's books Thinking in Bets and How to Decide explore decision-making under uncertainty. They provide practical tools and insights, such as pre-mortems, to improve decision accuracy and overcome cognitive biases. 00:27:11 - The Impact of Hindsight Bias Annie discusses how most of the time, we learn new things after the fact and act like we should have known them beforehand. She highlights the importance of tracking knowledge and listening to independent opinions to avoid biases. 00:27:52 - Overcoming Analysis Paralysis Annie explains the process of decision-making and the importance of making implicit factors explicit. She emphasizes the need to consider the consequences of decisions and the ability to change your mind later. 00:32:38 - The Value of Quitting Annie challenges the negative perception of quitting and emphasizes its value in decision-making. She shares insights from experts and individuals, highlighting the benefits of exercising the option to quit. 00:35:32 - Conversations with Experts Annie shares her conversations with influential figures like Michael Mobison, Daniel Kahneman, Richard Thaler, and others. These discussions inspired her to explore the topic of quitting further, leading to the creation of her book. 00:40:52 - The California Bullet Train Annie uses the example of the California bullet train project to illustrate the challenges of large-scale decision-making and the importance of considering all factors before committing to a course of action. 00:41:35 - The California Bullet Train Project Annie discusses the challenges faced by the California bullet train project due to the Diablo and Tehachapi mountain ranges. The budget explosion and the decision to continue building without addressing the engineering challenges are highlighted. 00:43:02 - Re-evaluation of the Project Gavin Newsom's decision to reevaluate the California bullet train project in 2018 is discussed. The project's failure to address the engineering problems of the mountain ranges and the budget increase to $110 billion are emphasized. 00:44:44 - Monkeys and Pedestals Framework Annie introduces the "Monkeys and Pedestals" framework, which emphasizes tackling the hard problems first before building pedestals. The concept of pre-mortems and setting kill criteria to identify and address project challenges is explained. 00:50:55 - Behavior Change and Future Planning The importance of behavior change in addressing project challenges and the application of pre-mortems and setting kill criteria to identify crucial information are discussed. The significance of identifying the "monkeys" before building "pedestals" is emphasized. 00:54:06 - Tackling Low Hanging Fruit The reverse approach to tackling projects, focusing on solving hard problems before addressing easy tasks, is highlighted. The importance of prioritizing crucial information and being smarter about project approach is emphasized. 00:54:54 - The Importance of Solving Hard Problems First Annie emphasizes the need to focus on solving the hard problem first before building pedestals. She highlights the concept of working on the greatest bike shed instead of the nuclear plant, as well as the law of triviality. 00:55:37 - The Pitfalls of Wasteful Thinking Annie discusses how people often fail to think ahead and waste time and resources on backward thinking. She emphasizes the importance of evaluating the worth of the next minute and dollar, shifting mindset from past to future. 00:56:24 - The Key to Success and Grit Annie explains that winners quit a lot, but they do it to focus on the right things. Grit is important, but only when applied to the right endeavors. She also touches on forced quitting and exploring new opportunities. 00:57:25 - The Importance of Flexibility and Agility Annie highlights the significance of being flexible and open to switching course if the current endeavor is not worthwhile. Winners sample a lot of things and settle on the right course of action, even if they don't know what they are switching to. 01:00:28 _  Conclusion What stuck with you while listening to the episode? What are you going to try? Come share it with Melina on social media -- you'll find her as @thebrainybiz everywhere and as Melina Palmer on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening. Don’t forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let’s connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Connect with Annie: ANNIE’S WEBSITE ANNIE ON TWITTER ANNIE ON LINKEDIN Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina’s Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Quit, by Annie Duke Subtract, by Leidy Klotz How to Decide, by Annie Duke Thinking in Bets, by Annie Duke Playing with Reality, by Kelly Clancy Top Recommended Next Episode: Game Theory (ep 228) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Matthew Confer Interview (ep 158) Counterfactual Thinking (ep 286) Framing (ep 296) Loss Aversion (ep 316) Status Quo Bias (ep 376) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina’s LinkedIn Newsletter A Slight Change of Plans Podcast with Maya Shankar Annie’s Newsletter

Renowned authors Dan Simons and Christopher Chabris discuss inattentional blindness and cognitive blindspots in their groundbreaking research. They explore how scammers exploit mental shortcuts in frauds and offer strategies to resist deceptive tactics. Topics include avoiding deception in business, improving marketing efforts, and understanding consumer purchasing behavior.

Welcome to the 400th episode of The Brainy Business podcast! In this milestone episode, Melina Palmer delves into the intriguing concept of survivorship bias, a critical thinking error that can significantly impact decision-making in business and personal life. Through engaging storytelling, Melina takes us back to World War II to uncover the origins of this concept and how it played a crucial role in military strategy.  She then brings the concept into contemporary contexts, illustrating how survivorship bias leads us to overvalue success stories while ignoring the vital lessons from failures. This episode not only celebrates our podcast’s journey but also equips you with practical insights to recognize and overcome survivorship bias in your ventures. Join Melina as she explores this bias’s profound implications on entrepreneurship, business strategies, and everyday decisions, helping you make more informed choices.  In this episode: Understand how survivorship bias impacts business success and decision-making. Explore the powerful influence of behavioral economics on shaping strategic choices in business. Discover effective strategies to overcome survivorship bias and drive more informed decision-making. Differentiate between correlation and causation in business strategies to make more impactful choices. Uncover the success factors that extend beyond survivorship bias and drive sustained business growth. Show Notes: 00:00:00 - Introduction Melina introduces the concept of survivorship bias and its relevance to business decisions. She emphasizes the impact of this bias on entrepreneurs and its influence on decision-making in various roles across industries. 00:04:08 - Abraham Wald and World War Two Melina delves into the story of Abraham Wald, a mathematician who discovered survivorship bias during World War Two. She highlights the significance of Wald's analysis of bullet holes on planes and the crucial insights it provided on reinforcing strategic spots. 00:09:16 - The Fallacy of Survivorship Bias The discussion focuses on the fallacy of survivorship bias in seeking advice for success. Melina provides examples of how survivorship bias leads to misconceptions about causation and correlation, using narratives of successful individuals as illustrations. 00:11:31 - Business Applications of Survivorship Bias Melina explores the business applications of survivorship bias and its implications for decision-making. She emphasizes the complexity of success and the dangers of assuming a one-size-fits-all approach based on survivorship bias. 00:13:56 - Correlation vs. Causation The conversation delves into the distinction between correlation and causation, highlighting the misconceptions that arise from survivorship bias. Melina illustrates the importance of discerning causation for making informed decisions in business and life. 00:15:46 - Survivorship Bias in Conclusions Not all successful CEOs wake up at 05:00 a.m. Correlation doesn't imply causation. It's important to consider all data points and not draw conclusions based on one aspect. 00:16:21 - Success and Failure in Publishing For every popular book, there are a million unsuccessful books and authors. It takes trial and error and hard work to succeed. Learn from others' experiences and determine what works for your goals. 00:18:07 - The Illusion of the Best Product The best products don't always lead the market. Being the best or first doesn't guarantee success. Look at all possible data points and consider what's missing for your business venture. 00:19:55 - Customer Feedback and Satisfaction Customer satisfaction surveys may not capture all feedback. Consider the concerns of those who didn't choose your business. Look beyond extreme examples and aim for a complete data set for feedback. 00:23:49 - Openness to Unexpected Findings Be open to the things you aren't looking for. Anomalies and unconventional ideas could lead to valuable insights. Consider reframing questions and exploring untested areas to avoid survivorship bias. 00:24:48 - Conclusion What stuck with you while listening to the episode? What are you going to try? Come share it with Melina on social media -- you'll find her as @thebrainybiz everywhere and as Melina Palmer on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening. Don’t forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let’s connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina’s Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: How to Change, by Katy Milkman What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer Alchemy, by Rory Sutherland The Invisible Gorilla, by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons Nobody's Fool, by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons Top Recommended Next Episode: David McRaney Interview (ep 336) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Hindsight Bias (ep 167) What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You (ep 225) Jonah Berger Interview (ep 301) Warren Berger Interview (ep 340) Cass Sunstein Interview (ep 371) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina’s LinkedIn Newsletter What Every Founder Needs to Know About Survivorship Bias Why It’s So Hard To Succeed – The Survivorship Bias You are missing something! – Survivorship bias 7 Lessons on Survivorship Bias that Will Help You Make Better Decisions How the Survivor Bias Distorts Reality Survivorship Bias: The Tale of Forgotten Failures Missing what’s missing: How survivorship bias skews our perception The College Dropout Problem Hilarious Graphs Prove That Correlation Isn’t Causation The 10 Most Bizarre Correlations

In this insightful episode of The Brainy Business podcast, host Melina Palmer welcomes Max Mawby, a seasoned expert in applied behavioral science at Thinks Insight & Strategy. Max shares his unique journey from working in the UK government to founding the financial behavior team at the Behavioral Insights Team, exploring the significant impact of behavioral science in both private and public sectors. With a focus on simplifying complex information for better consumer understanding, Max discusses his collaboration with plain numbers, a social enterprise dedicated to making numerical communications more accessible.  Delve into practical strategies like the EAST framework to enhance decision-making processes. Max emphasizes the necessity of clear, effective communication to empower informed choices without compromising freedom. This episode is a treasure trove of insights for anyone interested in how behavioral science can drive positive financial behaviors and facilitate informed, sustainable decisions. Tune in to learn how to implement these practices in your organization and make a lasting impact. Don't miss this episode’s engaging discussion on the power of behavioral insights in real-world applications.  In this episode: Apply behavioral science principles to drive business success and enhance customer understanding. Influence positive financial behaviors to unlock new opportunities for financial growth and stability. Conduct online experiments to inform strategic business decisions and optimize customer experiences. Utilize behavioral insights to design inclusive products that resonate with diverse consumer needs and preferences. Simplify financial communication to empower consumers and foster better financial decision-making. Show Notes: 00:00:00 - Introduction Max Mawby, managing director of applied behavioral science at Thinks Insight & Strategy, shares his insights on driving positive change using behavioral science in various sectors. 00:05:58 - Starting in Behavioral Science Max shares a personal story about his early attempts to introduce behavioral science in the UK civil service. He emphasizes the importance of perseverance and finding opportunities to apply behavioral science. 00:10:30 - Experimental Projects Max discusses a project on improving financial decision making for pensions in the UK. By using personalized guidance in a digital journey, they were able to significantly increase the number of people making good financial decisions. 00:14:46 - Behavior and Technology Max highlights the potential of leveraging technology to provide personalized advice, reducing the need for expensive human resources. He emphasizes the importance of using empirical evidence to make an investable case for implementing behavioral science solutions. 00:16:34 - Importance of Persuasive Evidence in Experiments Max discusses the importance of persuasive evidence in experiments, highlighting the need to understand the context and literature. He emphasizes the significance of high confidence in experiment results. 00:17:22 - Designing Experiments Based on Context Max emphasizes the importance of understanding contextual pieces when designing experiments. He discusses the need to translate research findings to different situations and adapt methods accordingly. 00:18:30 - Structuring Problem Solving in Projects Max explains the process of structuring problem-solving in projects, including setting a structure around the specific problem, forming research questions, and selecting appropriate methods to answer those questions. 00:22:13 - Exploring Behavioral Interventions Max discusses the exploration of behaviorally informed interventions and projects, highlighting the importance of frameworks like EAST (Easy, Attractive, Social, Timely) for driving change and evaluating impact. 00:28:57 - Discovering New Research Max shares his approach to discovering new research through social media platforms like Twitter, emphasizing the importance of engaging with a community to stay updated on the latest research in a specific field. 00:31:43 - The Power of Plain Numbers Approach Max discusses the effectiveness of the plain numbers approach in simplifying complex information for consumers, citing examples from water bills and credit card statements. The approach focuses on making financial outcomes understandable to customers. 00:32:30 - Impact of Plain Numbers Approach in Regulation Max highlights the impact of the plain numbers approach in UK regulation, specifically the consumer duty, which shifts regulatory duties to focus on the financial outcomes of customers rather than broad disclosures. The approach simplifies complex algorithms and information for better customer understanding. 00:33:05 - Making Information Easier to Understand Max emphasizes the importance of simplifying information for consumers, especially in financial and utility companies. The approach aims to make it easier for people to understand complex calculations, such as interest rates and water bills, in a minimal amount of time. 00:34:17 - Humanizing Communication in Finance Melina and Max discuss the importance of humanizing communication in the financial industry and the role of behavioral science in helping people make better choices. They emphasize the need to communicate in plain language and numbers to empower consumers. 00:35:51 -  Conclusion What stuck with you while listening to the episode? What are you going to try? Come share it with Melina on social media -- you'll find her as @thebrainybiz everywhere and as Melina Palmer on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening. Don’t forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let’s connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube  Connect with Max: Thinks Insights & Strategy  LinkedIn  X  Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina’s Books.   Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Nudge, by Richard Thaler & Cass Sunstein How to Change, by Katy Milkman Behavioral Insights, by Michael Hallsworth Sludge, by Cass Sunstein The Friction Project, by Robert Sutton and Huggy Rao Top Recommended Next Episode: Jo Evershed Interview (ep 353) Already Heard That One? Try These:  The Overwhelmed Brain and its Impact on Decision Making (ep 32) NUDGES and Choice Architecture: Introduction (ep 35) Color Theory (ep 61) The Most Important Step In Applying Behavioral Economics: Understanding the Problem (ep 126) Michael Hallsworth Interview (ep 218) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina’s LinkedIn Newsletter

Dr. Michael Hallsworth discusses applying behavioral science to public policy, sharing projects on reducing antibiotic prescriptions and combating obesity. Lessons on replicating strategies, evolving interventions, and addressing societal issues are highlighted. The episode showcases the power of behavioral economics in creating significant societal shifts through small nudges.